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Iowa high court refuses to unblock strict ban on most abortions

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s high court refused Friday to unblock a strict ban on most abortions, rebuffing Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and, for now, keeping the conservative state from joining others that have severely limited access to the procedure.The decision to uphold a 2019 district court ruling that blocked the law comes roughly a year after the same body — and the U.S. Supreme Court — determined that women do not have a fundamental constitutional right to abortion.The blocked law bans abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy and before many women know they are pregnant.While the state’s high court maintains the block on the law, it does not preclude Reynolds and lawmakers from passing a new law that looks the same. The decision Friday was largely procedural — the 2022 appeal to the 2019 ruling was too late.Abortions remain legal in Iowa up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows bel...

CP NewsAlert: Supreme Court of Canada upholds Safe Third Country Agreement

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

OTTAWA — Canada’s highest court has deemed the pact between Canada and the United States to control the flow of asylum seekers across the shared border to be constitutional.More coming.The Canadian Press

Stock market today: Wall Street opens mostly higher, looking to extend winning streak

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening mostly higher as Wall Street looks to extend the market’s longest winning streak in a year and a half. The S&P 500 was up 0.2% in the early going Friday. The benchmark index is trading at the highest level it’s been at since April 2022 of last year. The Dow added 71 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq slipped 0.1%. Adobe was among the biggest winners early on. The software maker rose 5% after raising its outlook and turning in results that easily beat forecasts. Treasury yields rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note climbed to 3.78%THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.BANGKOK (AP) — Shares advanced in Europe and Asia on Friday after a broad-based rally on Wall Street. U.S. futures were little changed and oil prices wobbled lower after gaining more than 3% on Thursday. Germany’s DAX added 0.2% to 16,328.40 and the CAC 40 in Paris surged 0.6% to 7,337.98. Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.2% at 7,642.77. The fu...

TD Bank issues causing customers to not receive direct deposits

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

One of Canada’s biggest banks is having major problems Friday morning, as a technical issue is affecting whether or not its customers receive direct deposits.In response to multiple social media posts asking TD Canada Trust what’s going on, TD Bank says it is “aware of an issue causing customers in Western and Eastern regions to not receive their Direct Deposit today.”Many have taken to Twitter highlighting their need to receive their paychecks.@TD_Canada helllo I was wondering if the direct deposit is down I haven’t got my paycheck— M (@MMcPheee) June 16, 2023“It’s crazy @TD_Canada is having issues with people getting paid today and they aren’t even letting people know. I’ve had multiple people contact me asking where their pay is…. Any update??,” one Twitter user asked.“Yup, no pay for anyone within my work environment who banks with @td_canada. Extremely upsetting as people have automatic withdrawals coming out,” another said....

On Ukraine-Russia trip, South African leader’s delegation stuck at Polish airport over arms permits

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A delegation of security officials, diplomats and journalists accompanying the South African president to Ukraine and Russia was stranded on a separately chartered plane at Warsaw’s airport for more than 24 hours. Polish authorities said on Friday that the problem was over permissions for firearms. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is among a group of African leaders visiting Kyiv and Moscow on a mission to encourage a resolution to Russia’s war on Ukraine. According to the Poland Border Guard agency, Ramaphosa’s security detail did not have permission for the weapons they were carrying, which resulted in a standoff. The president’s office described the incident as “very unfortunate and deeply regrettable” but said his security was not compromised.“Members of the delegation had weapons which they did not have permission to bring, but they could leave the plane themselves,” the Polish agency tweeted Friday.“Our officials remain engaged with their...

Jury resumes deliberating in trial of gunman who killed 11 at Pittsburgh synagogue

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A jury resumed deliberating Friday in the federal trial of a truck driver who shot and killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the nation’s deadliest attack on Jewish people.There is no dispute that 50-year-old Robert Bowers was the man who burst into Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, and opened fire with an AR-15 rifle and other guns, although prosecutors and the defense sparred at trial over his motive. Seven people were wounded, including five police officers.After 11 days of testimony, jurors got the case Thursday afternoon and spent more than two hours reviewing the mountain of evidence against Bowers before going home. Bowers is charged with 63 criminal counts, including hate crimes resulting in death and obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.In closing arguments Thursday, a prosecutor told the jury that Bowers targeted his victims because of their religion, noting hi...

AP Election Brief | What to expect in Virginia’s primaries for state legislature

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia voters will select candidates in a primary election Tuesday in which redistricting has forced a record number of retirements and created several high-profile contests between incumbents of the same party.The winners will face off in a November general election that will decide control of the closely divided state legislature.In 2021, Republicans won a narrow 52-48 majority in the House of Delegates and swept every statewide constitutional office. This year, they aim for a complete lock on the commonwealth’s legislative agenda by winning back the state Senate, which Democrats now control by a 22-18 majority.One of the top races to watch is the Democratic primary in the 13th Senate District, where the candidates’ positions on abortion have played a key role. First-term incumbent Joe Morrissey, a former independent, opposes abortion rights and has backed some Republican efforts to restrict the procedure in the commonwealth. His opponent is Lashrecse Aird, a f...

Family separations at the US border inspired Isabel Allende’s newest novel

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

MIAMI (AP) — The separation of migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border has always caused Isabel Allende pain: When she saw it during the Trump administration, her first impulse was to help reunify children and parents through her foundation. Then, the legendary Chilean author thought, she had to write a book.“The Wind Knows My Name,” which grapples with immigration, violence, solidarity, and love, is the latest novel by the award-winning writer who — with more than 77 million books sold — is considered the world’s most widely read Spanish-language author. Released earlier this month, it is available at bookstores in the U.S., Spain, and Latin America.For Allende, 80, the separation of children from their parents at the border evoked similarly wrenching historical moments, such as when children of enslaved or Indigenous families were wrest from their parents.“I thought about this awful tragedy, that is not the first time that it happens,” Allende said during a video interview with...

Cyclone Biparjoy weakens as it churns toward Pakistan after killing 2 in India and causing damage

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

MANDVI, India (AP) — Cyclone Biparjoy knocked out power and threw shipping containers into the sea in western India on Friday before weakening as it headed toward Pakistan, officials said.More than 180,000 people took shelter in the two countries, but later Friday, Pakistan’s evacuees prepared to return home. Indian officials said electricity has been restored in some villages, while many others were still without power. Still, the storm took a toll especially where it made landfall in India. A man and his son died when they tried to save their livestock in Gujarat state. The storm packed windspeeds of 85 kph (53 mph) and gusting up to 105 kph (65 mph) through the coastal regions of western Gujarat. The full extent of the damage in western India wasn’t immediately known. In addition to the two deaths, 23 people were injured in various areas, officials said. About 100,000 people who were evacuated in western India have been temporarily relocated to relief camps, authoriti...

Powerful illegal drugs are inundating Europe and sending corruption and violence soaring, EU says

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:34:59 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — New harmful illicit drugs are inundating a flourishing market for traffickers amid violence and corruption hurting local communities across Europe, the EU’s agency monitoring drugs and addiction said Friday.The grim finding was part of the agency’s annual report. It also said that drug users in Europe are now exposed to a wider range of substances of high purity as drug trafficking and use across the region have quickly returned to pre-COVID 19 pandemic levels.Cannabis remains the most-used illicit substance in Europe, the agency found, with some 22.6 million Europeans over the age of 15 having used it in the last year. Cocaine seizures are “historically high” and new synthetic drugs whose effects on health are not well documented are worrying officials.In 2022, 41 new drugs were reported for the first time by the agency.“I summarize this with the phrase: ‘everywhere, everything, everyone,’” said European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Dir...